TEN YEARS OF THE PEARY ARCTIC CLUB
667
COMMANDER PEARY AND HERBERT L. BRIDGMAN, SECRETARY OF THE PEARY ARCTIC
CLUB, SAYING FAREWELL ABOARD THE "ROOSEVELT"
1905. Roosevelt, Bucksport to Portland, to
New York, to Sydney, to Cape Sheri
dan and winter quarters.
19o6. Roosevelt, winter quarters, Cape Sheridan
to Sydney and New York.
1908. Roosevelt, New York to Sydney and
winter quarters.
Of the sledge and field work of the
Club, it so far exceeds that of any other
expedition that it may be fairly ques
tioned whether it does not equal that of
all combined. Six times along the ice
foot from Cape Hawkes to Fort Conger
its sledges broke the way, until it re
sembled an open road, while Smith
Sound, Robeson Channel, and Lincoln
Sea were gridironed in all directions with
their trails.
On the Greenland coast, delimiting for
the first the northern boundary of this
mysterious continent, it fixed Cape Mor
ris K. Jesup in 1900, the highest northern
land in the Western Hemisphere, and
probably connected farther to the east
the new land with Independence Bay, dis-
covered by Peary six years before. The
game located on this former journey also,
proved the salvation of the party upon
their return from the farthest north, six
years later. From Fort Conger north to
Cape Hecla, from Cape Sheridan west,.
in the summer of 1906, the ice-foot af
forded a path to the farthest west,.
whence the hitherto-unknown Crocker
Land was visible, and the definite map
of the Arctic Archipelago still farther
extended.
Of the memorable sledge journeys,
across the polar pack, that of 1902, to
84.17°, highest north on the American
Hemisphere, and that four years later to.
87.6°, the highest north, the leader has
the rightful prerogative of description;:
but they are recognized as among the
major achievements of Arctic annals, not
only in latitude attained, but in posses
sion and exercise of those qualities which
are the price of all Arctic success. The
total number of miles covered by the-